Embracing the givenness of our sexed bodiesWritten by Lindsay CallawayI grew up with sisters. I always imagined myself having girls. Girls were my frame of reference for a family. When I got pregnant in my mid-twenties, and that sonogram wand glossed over my full bladder and protruding belly, I was
Written by Braeden HolmstromI always dreaded whenever my youth camp would split between boys’ and girls’ activities. Usually, it was something like wilderness training for the boys and crocheting for the girls. The problem was, I would rather crochet than chop wood.This dynamic never truly went away
Tips for healthier, more human interactions onlineWritten by Meisha WatsonI’ve spent the last two years interviewing Christian singles on my podcast My Single Story, hosting singles mixers, and having spontaneous conversations at events across Canada. During Covid, online dating saw a big uptick, bu
Visions of femininity deepened and broadened amid illnessWritten by Elizabeth DuarteMany of us feel a pull towards greatness. As teenagers, we sketch our hopes and dreams in the sky and believe anything’s possible.The vision I painted in the sky? Prayer warrior. Missionary. Homemaker. Servant. Actor
How stories such as Jacob, Deborah, and David nuance and expand feminine and masculine normsWritten by Jeff HawkerWhen I was in Grade 6, a few of my peers started calling me gay. In the ‘90s this was an unfortunately common way kids would tease each other. Instead of being a rough-and-tumble boy, I
Amid polarizing debates, there is a better way to think about relationships with people identifying as transgenderWritten by Laura GobbelsAs I talk to many different pastors and church leaders about sexuality, the issue of gender pronouns repeatedly comes up. Many youth pastors have youth who identi
Mary, the Mother of Jesus, teaches us to see femaleness not as a limitation, but as an essential part of God’s storyWritten by Kristen UnrauImagine feeling called to become a pastor and to spread the good news of Christ, but after four years studying theological and biblical texts, you’re met with r
Rooting our identities in deeper truths than societal ideas or stereotypesWritten by Stephanie MassicotteIn 2012, a study in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence explored how gay men in the UK, who were targeted by violent hate crimes, coped with feeling victimized. Some of the men accepted the fac
A student club hosts open mic nights to celebrate artistic expressionWritten by Nathan Reid-Welford “Welcome to Quest’s Open Mic,” Taps, the creative outreach coordinator at Redeemer University says, introducing the first performer. The lights dim. Cool blue mixed with a tinge of white, washes over
Truth, relationships and reconciliation Written by Adam KlineIn 2022, I travelled to Balcarres, Saskatchewan with my denomination’s intercultural ministry team to meet members of the Loko Koa Mission. Loko Koa is a small group of YWAM missionaries from Samoa who seek to honour Creator by helping to
How haiku writing can enliven Scripture meditationWritten by Bonnie Beldan-ThomsonAt one point, every Bible passage I read seemed like a paraphrase of something I’d read before. Perhaps you can relate to this feeling. We can become so used to stories in the Bible that they seem rote.One antidote to
God’s presence in both grief and hopeWritten by Alexandra Christine*Trigger warning: This article describes pregnancy loss. Please take care of yourself while reading or come back to this article when you are in a different mental space.After Embree died, I wanted to join him.[1] I wanted to go to h
Welcoming and accommodating employees with disabilitiesWritten by Sammy KyeremeThe Raw Carrot, a soup social enterprise with four locations in southern Ontario, focuses on hiring workers with disabilities and mental illness and surrounding them with volunteer support. They aim to alleviate the finan
Anticipating a future without mental illness Written by Kaitlin DendekkerI have never known a life without darkness. For almost two-thirds of my life, I have struggled with mental illness. My journey has often looked like one step forward; three steps back. And back. And back.Yet through it all, I h
Hope Chapel reinvigorated through community initiatives like offering weekday snacks to studentsWritten by Jane PeckIt’s not quite 7:00 a.m. on a Wednesday, but already I am snapping on the lights and plugging in the five 100-cup hot water urns needed to make 100 litres of hot chocolate. I then head
The Gospel of Mark invites us into a new storyWritten by Caleb Unrau Whenever I choose a movie, I tend to pick ones with sudden endings. I appreciate films that don’t tie up every loose end but instead leave some of them there as invitations to the audience to discover for themselves what
An unexpected path to clarityWritten by Bethany MartellMy little boy is a little over one year old. Most of the time, he is good natured and happy. But try to pin him down and force anything on him (especially, heaven forbid, boots!) and the back arches, the head flies back, and the world abruptly c
The good, the bad, and the beautiful in antagonist storylinesWritten by Abby CionaWhen you think of a villain, do you think of a figure cloaked in black, lurking in shadows and plotting revenge? A manipulative, cruel magician who profits off others’ misfortunes? A cruel jealous queen willing to do a
What a day of rest looks like for a working family with young kidsWritten by Jeff HawkerIn recent years I’ve been seeing a resurgence in teaching and practising about the Sabbath in some Christian circles after some decades of less attention. I’m grateful to the lead pastor of my church for teaching
Written by Jared Vander MeulenLeah Sharibu was 14 the day that her life was uprooted.It was a normal day at her school, Government Girls Science Technical College in Dapchi, Nigeria. Life was full of optimism.But on the evening of February 18, 2018, that optimism was shattered. The school was attack
Amid growing concern over the harms of online culture, we can forget there are lifegiving aspects too Written by Abby CionaI had probably walked this path a hundred times to and from university classes, rain and shine, snow and ice, but this was the first time I stopped at the rock-covered in l
How we can support the vulnerable amid Canada’s changing laws about assisted dyingWritten by Elizabeth DuarteThis doctor was my last hope.A week before, I’d been turned out of an emergency room with a heart rate jumping like a ping pong ball and my skin covered with rashes. A nurse saw my tears and
Churches offering sanctuary to the hurting and lonely should take note of Taylor Swift’s resonanceWritten by Adam Kline It’s a strange and impressive achievement, Taylor Swift’s sustained stardom. Her notoriety and fandom have crossed generations. Millennials remember the earlier albums that brought
A Thunder Bay potter’s creations replace her church’s single-use plastic communion cupsWritten by Marianne Jones“I was constantly making things as a child. I was the little girl who couldn’t stop cutting paper,” Liz Straiton reminisces. “I always did well in art classes at school, and later took fin
